Picking up the Pieces
by BroomballKraken
Summary: They had helped each other pick up the broken pieces of their past, and they would use those pieces to create a happy and prosperous future together. Lon'qu/Panne


The sun slowly inched its way above the horizon and bathed the land in the glow of the dawn. Panne sipped on her tea in silence, her eyes gazing out over the camp from her spot on a nearby hill. Soon, the camp would become lively as the humans of the army awoke and began their daily routines. She had made it a habit every morning to find a place away from the noisy humans to relax before beginning her day, and she enjoyed the time alone.

This morning, however, she was not alone.

Panne stole a glance at the man sitting about two feet away from her. Lon'qu stared straight ahead as he took a drink of his tea. Her hatred of humans had diminished greatly due to her time with the Shepherds, and her time spent with Lon'qu had much to do with it. When she had first met him, she regarded him with the same hostility she did all humans.

However, her opinion of him had changed when she found that he too suffered from nightmares of his past, so terribly that he'd developed a phobia of women. He was the first human that she could empathize with. It had been an impulsive reaction when she offered him her brew that helped with her nightmares, and she was still puzzled as to why she had helped him so readily. It was probably because, even though they were different races, they were still sentient beings, experiencing the same emotions, good and bad. She wanted to help him because she had experienced similar suffering and couldn't just let him continue to suffer without trying to help.

Panne had been happy when he came to her the next day, smiling at her for the first time because her potion had worked. He had a nice, handsome smile – for a human – and she hoped that he would smile more from now on. From then on, they had developed a daily routine. He would stop by her tent and she would brew him more of the nightmare potion. They would sit together, with Lon'qu usually sitting a good five feet away. They would mostly sit in silence, with occasional comments about their location or what had happened in their most recent battle.

With that being said, she had been surprised when one day out of the blue, he started to tell her details about his tragic past. She had mentioned bits and pieces of hers in their earlier meetings, and she did not expect him to be able to tell her anything about his. She listened silently as he told his story, and finally understood why he was who he was. When he had finished telling her, he became a bit flustered and said that he didn't know why he had told her, but he felt better once he did. Sharing your pain with others, Panne had come to realize herself, was a good step on the road to recovery.

Panne pulled herself from her thoughts as she noticed that Lon'qu had finished his drink and was now staring intently at his cup, almost as if he was trying to burn a hole in it with his gaze. She knew that he was acting weird, because this whole meeting was different from their previous ones in many ways. First, he had come to meet with her in the morning. He normally didn't seek her out until after lunch, when the rest of the army was going about their business around them. He had wanted to be completely alone with her this time.

Second, he had refused her offer of making him more of her potion. Instead, to her surprise, he had come to her with a brew of his own, a popular tea from Ferox made with elderberries. It was delicious, and Panne was very happy that he had made this for her.

Third, he was sitting much closer to her than he had in the past. He normally would not come withing five feet of her, but today he was close enough that she could reach out and touch him if she stretched out her arm enough. She had caught herself watching him in the camp sometimes, and it looked like he had not made the same progress with any of there other women in the army. He had only been able to get closer to her, which she realized made her happy. She had come to really enjoy his company, and her feelings for him may have exceeded those of mere friendship.

Finally, his heart rate was not normal. Her ears twitched slightly as she listened to the beating of his heart, which was much more frequent than it normally was when they were together. He was...nervous maybe? Regardless, she knew that _something_ was bothering him. She was curious to know what it was.

"Lon'qu." Panne said, finally breaking their silence. Lon'qu stiffened and turned his head to look at her, his dark eyes meeting her purple ones. "You seem troubled. Is something bothering you?" His grip tightened on his cup as he adverted his gaze.

"It's...nothing. Do you like the tea?" he said quickly, trying to change the subject.

"Yes, it is delicious." she said, closing her eyes as she drank the rest of the tea. She set the cup down and opened her eyes again, her gaze boring into him, causing Lon'qu to shift uncomfortably, "I know something is bothering you, I can hear how fast your heart is beating."

"Y-you must be imagining things. Did you enjoy the tea?"

"You already asked me that, Lon'qu."

"...Damn it."

Panne's mouth threatened to break into a smiled, but she managed to keep a straight face and she continued to stare at the human before her. She waiting patiently as she watched him. His eyes shifted from the ground and to the sky before they finally looked back at her.

"Panne, I've...really come to enjoy our time together, and...whenever I talk to you, I get a warm, fuzzy feeling in the pit of my stomach. I...thought it might be from your potion, but I have that same feeling now, and I haven't touched a drop today. I..." he paused as he became flustered, his face turning a bright red in color.

"Are you implying what I think you are, human?" she said, smiling as she tilted her head curiously.

Lon'qu's intense eyes met hers. "Taguel or human, it matters not. You are just the woman I love."

Panne chuckled. "You've changed from when we first met. Do you remember how afraid you were?" she asked.

"I...I do, but I've gotten better...How do you feel, Panne?" he asked, staring at her with anticipation as he awaited her answer.

"I feel the same, Lon'qu." she said, and she was given pause as a genuine smile crossed his face. She smiled back and continued, "You're the first human I've known who makes me forget about the past. I shall gladly be yours, Lon'qu, if you will be mine."

"Thank you Panne. I...still have some...issues with getting close to you, but I'll do my best to work past them." he said, as he managed to shift towards her slightly.

"I appreciate you working so hard on my behalf, but don't push yourself to hard. I am a patient woman." Panne said. Even with that statement, Lon'qu took a deep breath and held his hand out towards her. She chuckled and gently placed her hand in his. His hand was shaking slightly, but after a few moments, he entwined his fingers with hers and let out the breath he was holding.

"Are you alright?" Panne asked. Lon'qu silently stared at their entwined hands and nodded.

"Yes...This is, eh...nice." he said, his face turning red again as he cleared his throat to try and hide his bashfulness.

"Yes, it is." Panne said as she squeezed his hand gently. They had helped each other pick up the broken pieces of their past, and they would use those pieces to create a happy and prosperous future together.


End file.
